Edward POV

“Geez, Edward, calm down,” Emmett said with a knowing smirk. “All your jittering is making me nervous.”

I glared at him, but stopped my restless pacing back and forth and dropped down to lean against a sturdy looking tree. It wasn’t long, though, before I began tapping my knee anxiously as I waited for him to finish his meal. He and I had been far north when we caught wind of a particularly large grizzly and took chase. He groaned as I stared him down impatiently, but didn’t make any further comment, knowing it was useless.

That didn’t stop him from thinking, though.

‘So impatient today. Amazing the effect a girl can have on the boy.’

I felt a growl start in the back of my throat as he continued, unashamed. ‘I know you can hear me, Edward, and you know it’s true.’ He looked maddeningly smug as I refused to justify his remark with any further comment.

“Just hurry up,” was my grumbled reply.

My phone vibrated against the rough fabric of my jeans and I whipped it out, glancing at the caller ID. Alice. She was back in Forks with the others, why would she need to call me? My brow furrowed in confusion as I answered.

“Yes, Alice?”

“Edward,” her voice was hesitant, uncertain, as if she didn’t want to deliver this particular message. It put me on edge instantly. My muscles tensed automatically and she continued. “You need to get to Port Angeles,” she said in a rush.

I sprung up immediately, running off without bothering to explain to Emmett, ignoring his shouts of protest at being left behind.

“What happened, Alice? What did you see?”

She hesitated again and I wanted to throw the phone in frustration. “It’s Bella. She’s in trouble.”

Suddenly her words started spilling out like water as my breath caught. “Edward, I’m so sorry. It was a spur of the moment decision, they hadn’t planned anything until they saw her, I didn’t know, couldn’t see…”

I couldn’t run fast enough. I hung up and raced to where we had left the cars. I felt like I was trudging through the heaviest mud, through solid rock. Even as I wrenched open the car door and threw my phone on the passenger seat, slammed the gas pedal down, pushing the speedometer as high as it would go, it felt like I was moving backwards, like time was moving too fast. Time, which usually meant nothing to me, was suddenly inexplicably precious.